The dynamical evolution of the S-stars at the Galactic center |
| TYPE | Astrophysics Seminar |
| Speaker: | Fsbio Sntonini |
| Affiliation: | CITA |
| Organizer: | Hagai Perets |
| Date: | 11.09.2013 |
| Time: | 14:30 - 15:30 |
| Location: | Lidow 620 |
| Abstract: | This talk focuses on the origin of the S-stars, the young stars near the supermassive black hole (SBH) at the Galactic center. We apply recent insights about how relativity interacts with Newtonian (star-star) perturbations near Schwarzschild and Kerr SBHs to the S-stars and put constraints on competing models for their origin and stellar cusp parameters. For the first time we show that the orbital distribution of the S-stars predicted by formation scenarios which invoke the tidal disruption of binary stars by the SBH are consistent with observations even when relativistic effects to the motion are considered. I will show that the S-star orbits can only be reproduced assuming dynamically relaxed models (i.e., steep density cusps) for the Galactic center and conclude by discussing the importance of resonant relaxation in terms of tidal disruption events in galactic nuclei. |